Tag: conversation

I am here to ask if you would go on another adventure with me? This is a challenge that sounds easy, but it is not for the squeamish. This will require you to come face to face with the type of energy you are REALLY putting out into the world. When I first heard of this challenge, or movement might be more appropriate, I thought it sounded like something I could master pretty easily. After all, I am a positive person. At least I thought I was a positive person. Does this intrigue you? Do you think you can do it? Of course you can. We can do it together.

First, let me start by telling you this is one of the reasons I LOVE social media. This movement, was totally off my radar, until I saw it in a Facebook friends post. She was starting the challenge of 21 consecutive days of being complaint free. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more. Thankfully, she posed a link to a keynote speech given by Will Bowen. After watching his speech, I thought, this is something I have to do even though I had no idea what this was going to entail and what it would teach me about myself.

I naively jumped into this challenge believing my natural Pollyanna attitude would carry me easily to day 21. I knew I was not perfect. I do hear myself complain from time to time. I know, that at times, I even relish the complaining. Really enjoying an occasional good “bitch session”. Let me tell you something. Despite how self aware I think I may be, I have big old “blind spot” where I don’t see my own imperfections. I complain, A LOT. I have been on this adventure now for about a week and I am still on day one.

One of my favorite things Will says, in his key note speech is, “There is no shame in day one”. Boy oh boy, I have embraced this as my mantra! After a week I am still on day one. I think some of the days I have complained less, than I would have, before I started this adventure. I have certainly become more aware of how quickly and easily I do complain. I am trying to notice when I am the one who is initiating the complaints verses when I am the one who jumping on the complaint bandwagon. I will tell you, I am certainly guilty of both.

I was beginning to feel a bit discouraged by my inability to get past day one. I thought, maybe I wasn’t keeping it front of my mind, enough? I get it that complaining is a habit and will take time to break it, but a week without being able to go past 1 day without voicing a complaint?! What am I doing wrong? I decided I need to keep the adventure front of mind for myself. I looked for the audio book that Will wrote. It’s called, A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted. I downloaded it and started to listen to it while I was commuting. Surely, this will be what I need to remain complaint free for a day or two. Nope! I am still catching myself complaining but there is some really great stuff happening.

One of the really wonderful things is I am now aware of myself and my complaining in a way I have never been in the past. I am telling you, I really thought I was Stacy Sunshine. I was more than a bit surprised to find out that is “not” the vibration I am sharing with the world all of the time. The other thing that I learned, from listening to Will’s book is this; he struggled too. He did not immediately jump to day 2. There were days he celebrated that he only complained 5 times. Ok, so now I feel better. I am not alone in my Eeyore nature. We “all” do it.

I do know this! I do not want to be a complainer. I do not what to bring others down and put negative vibrations out into the world or even boost myself up by gossiping about others. This is not who I am on a soul level! This is not the person I am here to be. I want to raise the vibration and be an inspiration. So, you want to go on an adventure with me?! Let’s do a 21 consecutive days; complaint free! I will write update blogs to let you know how I am doing and you can share hints, tips, and tricks of what is helping you along the way. Together we can help Will’s movement of a complaint free world spread even further and faster across this planet. He does say; it takes most people about 8 months to reach the 21 days. Let’s see if we can beat that!

We can do this! Remember that Will says; “There is no shame in day one”. Want to join this adventure?! Why not? What have you got to loose?

Thank you for reading my blog today. May you find your spirit positive and your words hopeful, as if by magic.

Today Adventure Sister Emy and I had a very good conversation. Like so many conversation that happen between Emy and myself it happened via text while Emy was working on things in Minnesota and I was commuting between returning my rental care and arriving at the Sea-Tac airport for my flight home. Life has become very busy lately for the Adventure Sisters, which is certainly it’s own type of adventure. We felt like there was wisdom involved in this conversation that could benefit many people. Conversation with Emy are always infused with colorful ways to describe situations and things. Even when we are feeling stressed or down we manage to find the humor in the situation. As you read this we are on our various trips. Emy in the BWCA and I am in a National Forest in Wisconsin. We are hopefully floating in the water, soaking up the sun, meditation, enjoying nature, and having some much needed alone time.Enjoy the wisdom that came through via our conversation.

Emy and I were discussing our week. I remember Emy sharing that her week had felt something like the passing a kidney stone. Emy has a great way of adding levity to stressful situations. The conversation started when I texted her about a term I heard in Mike Dooley’s book, Infinite Possibilities, Divinely Selfish Soul. Mike credited the term to Richard Bach’s book, Illusions. Emy and I sometime feel that by chasing our dreams to make them a reality we are being selfish. We do not always have the time or energy to give to our families, friends, or other commitments because of the business that comes with living our dreams. I loved the idea that my pursuits are divinely inspired and therefore any perceived selfishness is also divine.

My last 3 months have been crazy busy and full of commitments that take up all of my time from sun up to sun down. Yesterday I worked from 5 am til 10 pm and still was not able to complete everything that needed to get done. The commitments in my life come from a variety of sources. For whatever reason right now, they feel like they are too much to handle. It is easy to focus on the stress, which makes me feel like throwing in the towel, lashing out at others, and looking for places to lay the blame. Emy’s campaign trail activities are putting similar stresses and demands on her. As our discussion continued I reflected that when I focus on the little joys, the way the things I do make a difference, and the connections I feel with those I meet, I am able to see the sun, be the light, and find my smile.We embrace the mantra, “Work is fun all of the time”. And so it is.

As I write this Emy and I are focusing on our anticipation for our trips into the wilderness. We feel we need it now, want it now, hear it calling to us now. We look to the future rewards of the forest and the grounding nature of the water. The anticipation make our trips all the sweeter and more enjoyable.

Thank you for reading my blog today! I wish you a life time of seeing the sun, being the light, and finding your smile, as if by magic. I love you! Sending you healing loving energy from the middle of the forest!